Four Taiyoukai Stripes
by AquaWater99
Summary: Four short stories about Sesshomaru and his group. All kinds of genres, the main one being Family. Warning: Rating may change at any time.
1. Jaken's Loyalty

**_Jaken's Loyalty_**

By: AquaWater99

(Author's note: Just bored, so I thought I'd try this. Don't read this one if you like Jaken, and is easily offended.)

Genre: Family/Sorrow

Rating: K+

Sesshomaru growled with annoyance inside. Jaken had fallen asleep _again_, and Rin had run off. Right now, the toad youkai was groveling at his feet, begging mercy. What was the thing with this baka demon, anyway? Didn't he, Sesshomaru, clearly state that Jaken was to supervise Rin? If the toad youkai was truly devoted to him, he wouldn't have fallen asleep.

"Stand up, Jaken," Sesshomaru spat, disgusted, but determined not to show it.

The toad demon hastily scrambled to his feet, careful to keep his eyes down and away from Sesshomaru's amber ones. Without a word, Sesshomaru scooped Jaken up into his arms and was into the air a second later. Ten minutes later, a stunned Jaken landed on the ground, hurting his bottom rather painfully. He slowly looked up at Sesshomaru.

"Stay, and do not find me again," said Sesshomaru, his temper slowly ebbing away.

Jaken blinked, shocked.

"Nani?!! Iie, iie, Sesshomaru-sama! Onegai, I'll never let Rin away from my line of sight again, I promise! Onegai!!" Jaken wailed.

But Sesshomaru had no words for him, as he lifted himself into the air. Within seconds, he was out of sight. Jaken screeched with such pain and anger clawing at his insides, he felt as though half of himself was gone, just like Sesshomaru. Gone, gone, gone. Just like the wind. Swept away, like a life. As the true realization of what just happened dawned on him, that he was alone in this world, he sank to his knees, sobbing, as the wind carried the scent of tears away.

>> Fast Forward

Jaken stumbled through the hazy forest, his mind numb. Why? Why had Sesshomaru left him? Was it simply because he had fallen asleep? He cursed himself. Why couldn't he do a simple thing like staying awake? It was outrageous. Suddenly, Jaken stiffened.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Help me!!" screamed a very familiar voice.

Racing to the source of the voice, Jaken found a snake demon about to devour Rin. Without thinking, he lifted the Nintoujou,  
and shot a fiery line of flame directly into the youkai. It burned to ashes on the spot. Lowering his weapon, Jaken realized he had just saved Rin from being devoured. A whoosh of wind nearly knocked him over.

"Sesshomaru-sama! I was so scared without you!!" cried Rin, hugging onto the taiyoukai's hakama pants.

Looking from the burnt youkai to Jaken, and then to Rin, comprehension dawned onto Sesshomaru, but he didn't show it.

"Come, Rin, Jaken." He said, emotionlessly.

"Come on, Jaken-sama! Let's go!!" Grinning at Jaken, Rin skipped ahead to the already-disappearing Sesshomaru.

"Chotto matte!!" yelled Jaken, gathering up his senses, and scurried as fast as he could to follow.

Up ahead, Sesshomaru was confused with Jaken's loyalty. Only a truly devoted servant would rescue his ward, even if he dumped them on the ground. But the same "devoted" servant fell asleep without looking out for his ward. Where exactly did Jaken's loyalty lie? Sesshomaru pondered on this.

A sudden, bright laugh echoed through the clearing. Rin's laugh, caused by Jaken.

Sesshomaru's hands suddenly relaxed. All right, the toad youkai could stay.

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Translations:

baka: stupid

chotto matte: wait up

hakama: a type of Japanese, traditional pants

iie: no

nani: what

Nintoujou: Staff of Two Heads

onegai: please

-sama: used for extremely respected people

taiyoukai: great demon

youkai: demon

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(Author's note: This certainly cured my boredom. R&R!!!)


	2. Sesshomaru and Rin's Love

**_Sesshomaru and Rin's Love_**

By: AquaWater99

Genre: Action/Family

Rating: T

"Jaken, watch over Rin until I get back." With that, Sesshomaru was gone.

Jaken inwardly groaned. Sesshomaru-sama had been repeating those words at least once every week now. It had never been like this before, that is, until that annoying ningen onnanoko came into his and his master's life. Jaken groaned again. _Ah, well.  
At least Sesshomaru-sama seems okay with it._

After two minutes, Rin was already getting bored with so much restless energy. She got up and bounded away.

"Hey!! Rin, kaeru!! Rin!!!" Jaken screeched, a little too late.

Fast Forward

_Hm, I wonder if Sesshomaru-sama likes flowers. Well, I'll give it a try._

Rin wandered to an open field. She gasped at the sight. Before her, smooth, silky flowers in all kinds of colors waving their petals at the excited girl, urging her to come play with them. Rin smiled.

"All right, hana!! I'm coming to you!" Exclaimed the little onnanoko.

Laughing with so much joy, Rin started rolling around in the flowers for what seemed like hours. She decided to wash the pollen off her kimono before making Sesshomaru-sama some flower wreaths. As she followed the sound of a trickling river,  
she spotted it. Kneeling down, she had just scooped her fifth handful of water when she suddenly felt a hand close around her right arm.

"Well, well, what have we here? A little onnanoko, all by herself?" An extremely unfamiliar voice sneered.

Rin gasped and looked up slowly. A black, mud-stained, yellow-teethed, ugly face leered at her. _Bandits!!_

Rin tried not to panic, but fear was already building in her chest. Beyond the bandit that still had hold of her arm, she spotted a large group of otokos, all like the first one, all staring at her. _There must be about fifty bandits!_

"Hm, today seems to be my lucky day. We butchered a large village, and now we find a kawaii girl as we set up camp." Smirked the Boss who had hold of her arm.

"What do you want to do with her, Boss?" Asked another one of the bandits.

"I think I'm gonna keep her for a few days. Just to torture her," Grinned the Boss.

"Sounds great, Boss!! We can join in too, right?"

"Hai, you can all join in. Oh, we're going to have some real fun, all right."

Rin started struggling madly. But the Boss already had a firm grip on her, and her struggles only made him laugh.

"To think, that you, a baka onnanoko, can get away from me, the great bandit Omashou?!!"

Rin didn't stop. Omashou scowled and hit her across the face. The wound started bleeding.

"Now if you're going to stay with us, you are to behave. Understand, onnanoko?!!" Growled Omashou.

Rin got scared and barely nodded. Omashou's normal, leery face was put back on.

"All right, men. Set up camp!!"

Before anyone could move, a poison whip snaked through them all, except for Omashou. The clearing was instantly filled with the scent of death. Omashou narrowed his eyes, and stepped back, with Rin picked up and held firmly against him.

"Who's there? And who dares to intrude where I am?!" Omashou yelled into nowhere.

Sesshomaru stepped into the clearing, his hand still glowing green, and his normal emotionless face put on.

"You! You did that!! Naze?? Is it because of this onnanoko??" Smirked Omashou.

Sesshomaru said nothing, except to run his claws through Omashou's body faster than light. Omashou gasped with pain, and immediately fell into leaves, with blood splattered all over Rin. Rin screamed loudly, and backed up from the body. She looked at the taiyoukai. _Sesshomaru-sama has saved me!! Demo, naze?? Aren't I just a burden to him? _

"Come, Rin," Sesshomaru turned and left. Rin hurried to catch up with him. She still didn't know why Sesshomaru-sama had done that. _It's because he loves me, isn't it?_ She dared to think. She decided she would ask.

"Sesshomaru-sama, why did you save me?" Rin asked, looking up to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru took a few minutes to answer.

"Because I love you, Rin."

Rin smiled a bright smiled as they reached the clearing where Jaken and Ah-Un were.

"Watashi mo, Sesshomaru-sama. Aishiteru."

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Translations:

aishiteru: I love you

baka: stupid

demo: but

hai: yes

hana: flower

kaeru: come back

kawaii: cute

kimono: a traditional, Japanese dress worn by both men and women

naze: why

ningen: human

onnanoko: girl

otoko: man

-sama: used for extremely respected people

taiyoukai: great demon

watashi mo: me too

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(Author's note: So how was the second "taiyoukai stripe"? Was Sesshomaru a little OOC at the end? Please R&R!!)


	3. An Interesting Question, Rin

**_"An Interesting Question, Rin"_**

By: AquaWater99

Genre: Humor

Rating: T

"Sesshomaru-sama, do you have a mate?" Piped up an 8-year-old Rin.

"Iie," Sesshomaru replied without taking his eyes off the path.

"Oh," Rin blinked. _Don't all youkai have a mate by this time? How come Sesshomaru-sama doesn't?_

"Sesshomaru-sama, _how are babies made?_" Wondered Rin aloud.

Sesshomaru froze this time at her question.

"Nani? Why the sudden curiosity?" The taiyoukai narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Welllllll, Jaken-sama told me how they were made, but I guess I forgot, so now I'm asking you. Oops! Jaken-sama also told me to not tell you. I guess I forgot," Rin covered her mouth at this point, not letting another word out.

_Slap!! Burrrnnnp!!!_

"Itai!!! Sesshomaru-sama, yamete kudasai!!! Ahhhhh!!!!" Came the screams and cries of a toad youkai.

"I wonder what Sesshomaru-sama is doing," Rin said, looking around at the clearing.

Sesshomaru melted back into the sight of Rin, who clapped her hands delightfully to see her lord.

"Rin?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Hai?" Answered Rin, surprised.

"Onegai, let's forget Jaken ever told you about that," murmured the taiyoukai, striding off into the path.

"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama!!" Brightened Rin, grabbing Ah-Un's reins and running after her master.

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Translations:

hai: yes

iie: no

itai: ouch

nani: what

onegai: please

-sama: used for extremely respected people

taiyoukai: great demon

yamete kudasai: please stop(it)

youkai: demon

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(Author's note: Hm... this stripe was tons shorter than the other two. It only took me about fifteen minutes to write it. Ah well. Give me a review of what you want the fourth "taiyoukai stripe" to be!)


	4. Let Her Live

**_Let Her Live_**

By: AquaWater99

Genre: Family

Rating: T

(Author's note: This chapter could not have been in the slightest way made if not for Silent Scribe. A stranger, not familiar to me in any recognizable way... Silent Scribe, if you are reading this, know that every day, I think of you and await your replies. Actually, to tell the truth, the mere thought of your friendship got me through several hardships. I'm not kidding in any possible way!!! But most importantly, domo arigatou gozaimasu for all those ideas and emails!! Everyone else, learn from her!!! Silent Scribe, if I'm embarrassing you, don't worry, it's almost over.).

Again, Silent Scribe let me write this chapter with a few sentences, but it turned to a myriad of ideas.

So she deserves it!! I dedicate this fourth taiyoukai stripe to you, Silent Scribe!! Enjoy!!!)

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_I will let her live._

Sesshomaru watched Rin frolic in a field of wild flowers, bathed in striking sunlight. Her joyous laugh fit perfectly with the bright red, orange, pink, and yellow of the flowers. Jaken squawked along, jabbering his endless lecture that if Rin was hurt, he would have to face Sesshomaru-sama's wrath. Unbeknownst to them, their warden was already present, concealed behind thick tree trunks.

_I will let her live. She will see the bright expanse of colors, the feeling of freedom. Away from all bloodshed and filth,  
she shall know love. I will make sure of that._

Stepping into the open, Sesshomaru dropped his disguise, and immediately came into the sight of Rin and Jaken.

"Sesshomaru-sama! You're back!! I missed you!" A wide smile came to Rin's face as she caught sight of her lord.

She skipped over, and handed Sesshomaru a beautiful bouquet of flowers, all of them waving lightly in the mild breeze, with droplets of water dancing off them. Sesshomaru looked at them, his outward self showing blankness, but inside, he was bursting with a kind of immense, unfamiliar feeling, similar to love, but much, much stronger.

"Let's go."

_**Five years later...**_

"Tasukete, Sesshomaru-sama!!" Shrieked a voice that had come to be familiar to Sesshomaru for five years.

Sighing inwardly, Sesshomaru leaped off the branch he'd been leaning/sitting on, and with a single swipe, tore the youkai that had confronted Rin into pieces in one second.

Lately, there had been no shortage of youkai meeting Rin, mostly because of her monthly bleeding. Sesshomaru was starting to really tire of it.

"Come," Sesshomaru glided away, his legs giving him tall and elegant steps. Rin hurried to her lord's side, as Jaken and Ah-Un met up with them.

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"We will stop here for the night," Sesshomaru sat down, and immediately started staring at the moon, his usual routine.

After a few minutes of sleep, Jaken was already snoring away. Despite that, silence still managed to force itself over to the area where Rin and Sesshomaru were. Suddenly, a voice broke the continuous silence.

"Sesshomaru-sama, why do you always stare at the moon?" Rin had been wondering this question since the first night she'd been with Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru did not reply. Minutes passed. Blinking with shock, Sesshomaru felt Rin snuggle up on his mokomoko, and yawn quietly. Tilting his head a little, Sesshomaru shifted a little closer to Rin, offering her his body heat.

_I still remember that day. The day I promised myself Rin would live. Did I fulfill my promise?_

Sesshomaru looked over to Rin, snuggled up on his mokomoko, a strand of black hair over her nose, lifting whenever she breathed out, and a content smile on her thirteen year-old face. He considered, and then decided.

_I have done well._

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Translations:

domo arigatou gozaimasu: thank you so much

mokomoko: Sesshomaru's fluff that always hangs over his shoulder

-sama: used for extremely respected people

taiyoukai: great demon

tasukete: help!

youkai: demon

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(Author's note: I'm really sad to say good-bye to this story. I enjoyed making up ideas for it. Of course, you helped a lot,  
Silent Scribe. Come on now, don't blush! Anyway, I hoped all you readers enjoyed the four stripes. I'm not going to even ask or demand for reviews, because right now, I'm just really content with this chapter. Still, reviews are welcome, but it's your choice, as always. And now, AquaWater99, signing out.)


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